2/13/2016

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Howtokillthedemo:the
watertruggleinItal
Januar18,2016

&COOPRATION

COMMON

ThepoliticofwaterinItaltarklrevealthecriiof
Andreau
legitimacthatirockinggovernmentandcompel
Muehleach
toakhowdemocraccaneregained.
AUTHOR

nNovemer28,2015,water
activitfromtheouthern
ItalianregionofCampania
tagedamaiveprotetinthe

citofNaple.ome5,000wateractivitand
environmentalit,tradeunionitand
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workerfromNaplewaterworkproteted
arecentlpaedregionallawthataimto
centralizewatermanagementandetthe
tageforwaterprivatization.
Thedemontrationwaoneineveralthat
occurredinthelatfewear.Previou
demontrationhadeenorganizedagaintan
(onlnominall)pulicwatercompanthat
managewaterervicein76Campanian
municipalitieandthathadmadewaterprice
oarandwaterhutoffproliferate.Whatwa
trikingaoutthiprotetwanotonlthe
preenceofNaplemaorLuigideMagitri
utofmorethanthirtmaorwalking
houldertohoulderwithproteter.The
latterwerepartofanetworkofmaorthat
hadeenformedin2013toprotet
privatizationandtoundercoretheir
commitmenttothepulicandparticipator
managementofwater.
Oneone,themaorwalked,donning
theirgreen,whiteandredmaoralaheand
carringanneremlazonedwithmunicipal
coatofarm.Potentmolofpopular
overeigntandelfdetermination,thee
annerwereeautifullemroideredwith
goldencrowncrownthatmimicancient
citwallandthuervearemindernot
onloflocalovereigntutofthe
municipalitduttoprotectandcareforit
UCRI

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LOGIN

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citizen.

Aout

Diplaetting

AY

hop

425

MAGAZIN

Whhaveprotetinvolvingmaor
proliferatedinItalinrecentear?Whatdo

FILM

LOG

thetelluaoutlawanddemocracinan
eraofintenededemocratization?Proteting
maorareamptomofradicalhiftinthe
landcapeofpoliticalactionandmeaning.
Theprovocativelpoethequetionofwho
repreentthedemoandhowpoliticcantill
ecraftedunderconditionwherethe
parameterofpoliticalactionhaveradicall
contractedandwherethelawitelfian
intrumentofdipoeion.
Whatprotetingmaorpoitiademo
oppoedtotheprivatizedpulicpropoed
fromaove,thupittingonemore
proximatepartofthetateagaintthoe
partthatmanItalianconidertoeditant
ecaueeholdentothelogicofmarketrule.
Thewatermovementthuofferinightnot
onlintotheprofounddedemocratizationof
theItalianpulicphere,utalointothe
remaining,harplcircumcriedpathwa
forpoliticalactiontillavailalefromelow.
Italoreveal,apoliticalphiloopherWend
rownrecentlputit,thatdemocracinota

Jointhemovement!

permanentachievementoftheWet.Itcanin
UCRI

NOTNOW

factelot.

Alreadaucrier?Loginhere
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RVOLUTION

In2011,Italianrejectedtheprivatizationof
waterthroughanationalreferenduminitiated
oneofthelargetocialcoalitionever
eeninthecountr.Localwatercommittee,
union,lawerandtheCatholicchurch
protetednotonlthecompulive
competitivetenderingandprivatizationofall
puliclcontrolledlocalervice,including
wateruppltem,utalothe7percent
returnofinvetmentlegallguaranteedto
privateinvetor.othhadeenealed
withoutpulicconultationtheItalian
parliament2009Ronchidecree.
Inahitoricallunprecedentedmove,27
millionItalian95percentpercentof
Italianwhovotedthatdarejectedthe
commodificationofwaterandinitedonit
eingaenecomune(acommon)thatought
toegoverneddemocraticallandoutideof
thelogicofprofit.
NotonldidanaolutemajoritofItalian
peakoutforwateraacommon.The
referendumalomadeviilethewillofthe
demo.peakinginunionagainttheempt
noieofmarketizationandcommodification,
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thepopularovereignuedtheintrumentof
thereferendumtocatapultitelfontothe
nationaltage.
Allofthihappenedatamoment
characterizedamaivegovernment
elloutofaet:tateownedcompanie
includingelectricit,ga,railroad,
telecommunicationandhighwahadeen
oldonthemarket,liquidated,orpartiall
privatized.2008,Italrankedecond
worldwideafterGreatritainintermofthe
valuegeneratedthroughprivatizedaet.It
wafromwithinthinationalcontextthatthe
demo,withthehelpoforellaacqua(iter
water,aFrancicantermmanItalianueto
ignalourhumankinhipwithwater)poke
outtoa:enough.

COUNTR RVOLUTION

Fourearafterthereferendum,itha
ecomeclearthatothuropeanandItalian
politicalelitehavenointentionofhonoring
itreult.ThiithecaeeventhoughItalian
lawprecriethatarogativereferenda
ecomelawoncepaed.Intead,the
revolutionfromelowwametacounter
revolutionfromaoveonethathaought
tokillthedemoandthepowerfulmeageit
conveed.
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Almotimmediatel,oththeuropean
CentralankandtheuropeanCommiion
urgedItaltofulllieralizelocalpulic
ervice(includingwater)throughlargecale
privatization.othignoredthereultofthe
referendumthathadhakenItalonltwo
monthefore.TheItaliangovernment
repondedtakingaNationalAuthoritfor
nerg,Ga,andWaterervice(AG)
withthecalculationofwaterprice.Italian
wateractivitinturnprotetedAG
complexmathematicalformula,arguingthatit
implreintroducedguaranteedprofitfor
watercompaniecalculatingthewater
pricewithanidenticalmethodutuingnew
terminolog.
Thegovernmentfurtherpaedalewof
emergenclawdecreewithalmotno
parliamentarinputapoliticalcientit
AdrianoCozzolinohahown,around51
ince2008,ofwhicharound24ince2011
omeofwhichdirectlimpactedthefutureof
water.Framedwithinthewellknown
neolieraltropeofefficiencutalo,
increaingl,ofurgencandemergenc,thee
lawandthevelocitwithwhichthehave
eenpaedhowhowtheovertimulated
climateofdetfueledfinancialmarketcan
tranlateintoamanicdeliriumoflawmaking.
Firt,theerluconigovernmentofthetime
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approvedalaw(Decree138/2011)which
reintroducedtheprivatizationoflocalpulic
ervice,includingwateralawimmediatel
ruledcontitutionallillegitimateItal
upremeCourtecaueitignoredthereult
ofthereferendum.Morerecentlandmore
utl,theRenzigovernmentpaedaerie
oflawthat,whilenotoliginglocal
municipalitietoprivatize,inteadcreatedthe
ficalandadminitrativeconditionthat
achievewaterprivatizationthroughdifferent
mean.
TheNationalForumforWateraCommon
haarguedthata2015tailitLawcontinue
atrendeguntheUtailitPactof
alancedudget,whichwaappliedtolocal
governmentafterthereferendumandwhich
ineffectmeantthatauterittarved
municipalitiewouldnotealetouack
privatehareinwaterevenifthewihedto
doo.Thilawfurtherundercutre
municipalizationoligingmunicipalitieto
prioritizeprivatemanagementcompaniein
theallocationofpulicfundand
incentivizingtheellingofwhatever
municipalwaterharetillexit.
Municipalitiethatinitonkeepingtheir
waterpulicareoligedtoetaideaumof
monethatequalthatofplanned
invetmenteverthreeearanaurd
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demandinanageofauterit.Thelawfurther
foridthatmunicipalitieueprofitmade
fromthealeofharetoreacquireprivate
harewiththegoalofremunicipalization.

NOLIRALAUTHORITARIANIM

Thereimore.A2014UnlockItal(locca
Italia)lawinauguratedaroundof
adminitrativerecentralizationthatdiffer
tarklfromthelocalfreedomunleahed
neolieralreform25earagounderthe
aegiofdecentralization,devolutionand
uidiarit.Italhathueentherieofa
highlauthoritarianneolieralpolitical
culturewhenitcometothegovernanceof
naturalreource,ettingthetageforawater
graonthepartofthetateanditprivate
allie.
A1994Lawhadpromotedthedecentralized
managementofwatercreatingwater
ditrict(ATO)governedaemlieof
maor.Theemaorwerereponilefor
theplanningandliceningofwater
conceion,themanagementofuropean
fundandtheappointmentofmemerofthe
oardofdirectorandthepreidentofthe
ATO.ATOthereforehadomemeaureof
democraticlegitimac.
Twentearlater,loccaItaliaeekto
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radicallcontraintheroleofmaor.In
Campania,theregionalpreidentdeLuca
(officialldeemedunfitforpulicoffice
Italparliamentarantimafiacommiion),
jutpaedalawthatreducethepowerof
ATOgroupingthemunderoneingle
entit(nteIdricoCampano)thatwilltake
controlofallpring,alltrategicplanning
andallregional,nationalanduropeanfund,
anddeterminepriceawellaconceion.
Wateractivitfearthatthineolieral
politicalauthoritarianim(Theregioni
actinglikealittleking,aIheardomeone
tellinglputit)willematchedtherieof
largewatercorporationthataimtocompete
onthegloalmarket.
TheNovemerdemontration,likethoeheld
efore,wathereforeamomentinwhich
maorwerealetoprotettheirlooflocal
overeignt.There,thelamentedthe
impendinglooftheircapacittoinfluence
waterprice,topwaterhutoff,oreven
decidewhatkindofinfratructuralworki
performedintheirterritorie.
Withthinewauthoritarianimcomethe
police.Theonllargecitthathare
municipalizedanddemocratizeditwater
workiNapoliAC(theNaplewater
companNapoli,WateraCommon).ut
inthelattenmonthalone,NapoliACwa
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tematicallharaedfromaove:multiple
viitthetaxpolice,theInternalRevenue
ervice,thepulicproecutorandthe
nationalanticorruptionauthorit.Yetnota
ingleaccuationagaintNapoliACwa
provenincourtandallchargeofcorruption
andfinancialmimanagementweredropped.

THRIOFRLMAYOR

Oneofthemotimportantlegacieofthe
referendumwaalegionofwatercommittee
thatremainallovertheItalianterritorand
thathaveacquireddeepinightintothe
workingofneolieralizationandthe
proceeofdedemocratizationthathave
accompaniedit.
InCampania,thewatercommitteeof
Catellammareditaia,Caalnuovo,Nocera
Inferiore,Nocerauperiore,Roccapiemonte
andmanotherrepreenttheremnantof
thedemothatcontinuetoholdpolitician
accountale,oftenatthelocallevelthrough
recouretomaorthemotproximate
repreentativeofthetateandthemoteail
heldaccountaleincethecomefromand
livewithinthecommunitietherepreent.
Manmaorhaveeenanimportant
reourceforthemovementincethe
referendum.Thecontinuetoeoathe
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havepuliclwalkedwithprotetingcitizen.
Thiiwhtherieofprotetingmaorio
ignificantandunuual:theirradicalizationi
amptominaodpoliticwheredemocrac
iick.
Maor,epeciallinmallertown,haveof
courealwaeencomplexmediator
etweenthepoweraoveandpreurefrom
elow.utinacontextofintenede
democratization,preureonmaorhave
uiltupandtheirrolehaveincreaingl
ecomefraughtwithcontradiction.rought
totheirkneeauteritpolicieandthu
unaletoprovidefortheircontituencie
anincapacitexaceratedinthe
impoverihedcommunitieoftheItalian
outhwhereinfratructureanderviceexit
ingrowingtateofutterdirepairmaor
areoththetailendofadedemocratized
politicaltemandpoliticalpreurepoint
oflatreortforlocalcitizen.

IGNUPFOROUR

HLPUTAINROARMAGAZIN

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Youremail
Printiuereleaedquarterl.
Thelatetcontent
inourinox.

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Makenomitake:manmaorweredragged
kickingandcreamingintoupportingthere
municipalizationofwater,utthatipreciel
thepoint.Theearepoliticalrepreentative
whocantilleheldaccountale(andforced
orcajoled)intohonoringthereferendum.
Thiiwhtheideliningofmaoriucha
traged.Itdipoeelocalcommunitieof
oneofthefewpowertillavailaletothem:
thatofholdingtheirmaoraccountale.
Onewathatmaorhaveoughttoaert
theirovereigntithroughtheiuanceof
ordinancethattopthewaterhutoff
currentlrockingthecountr(illegalin
FranceandGreatritain,waterhutoffare
legalinItal).utalewofrecentdeciionin
regionaladminitrativecourtinLazio,home
toItalcapital,Rome,haveruledthat
maordonothavethirightadevatating
lowtothelittlemaneuveringpaceleftto
maorintruggleoverwater.Activitfear
thattheerulingwillhaveacacadingeffect
onthecapacitofItalmaortoprovide
eventheonemotcrucialutancethat
humanneedtourvive:water.
ThepoliticofwaterinItalthutarkl
revealakecriiofourtimethecriiof
legitimacthatirockinggovernmentand
thatforceutopoethequetionofwhere
politicalovereigntandlawandlawfulne
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lie.Itcompelutoakhowwehavecometo
apointwheredemocractandoppoedto
theeconomandhowdemocrac,undertood
atheruleofthepeople,caneregained.

AndreaMuehleach
AndreaMuehleachiaProfeorof
AnthropologattheUniveritofToronto,
currentlconductingreearchonwater
truggleinurope.
>

MOR

FURTHRRADING

POPL

&POWR

Freedom
technologitandthe
futureofgloal
jutice
JohnPotill Januar19,2016

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